The One That Got Away
by ValkyrieOfDarkness
Summary: Dean Ambrose and Cassandra Cooper dated all through high school and into his early wrestling career as Jon Moxley. When she walked away with little or no warning, only a note, it sealed off a part of the man. Now that their paths have crossed again, and something hidden comes to light, will the two reunite, with help from Dean's two best friends? Or is the past better left behind?
1. introduction

I do not own the WWE. If I did, that'd make me a McMahon, yes? Obviously, guys and girls, totally not. I also do not own the characters/people who portray them. And I am not saying that the below scenario ever happened, nor is it even remotely possible. It's made up, fanfiction. Probably shitty, but hey.. Everything you want or need to know about my oc is posted on my bio. There's also links to click to see what they look like and stuffs. I got the template I used from a friend who swears by them in roleplay. Turns out they actually do help because writing this story proved to be a lot easier when I had a guide to look at, my own organized thoughts and facts as opposed to just kind of blowing it out of my ass.

**First Love Is The Deepest**

_"__I have never been in love before," Julian said. "You're my first-and you'll be my only." _  
><em>― <em>_L.J. Smith__, __The Hunter_

The first love is the one that stays with us, even when we're old and gray.. And when it ends unexpectedly, as it did in the case of Dean Ambrose and Cassandra Cooper, it's often the one that hurts the deepest. It's the one we keep going back to when we're all alone in our rooms at night, we torture ourselves with what ifs and if onlys..

Lucky for Cassandra and Dean, there are Seth and Roman, Dean's 'brothers' and partners in crime.. And when the two cross paths again, at a diner just outside of Tulsa, and a secret comes to light, the two 'brothers' do what any loving brothers would.. They meddle. The question remains however, will their meddling work?

Or is the past better left in the past as Cassandra and Dean both seem hell bent on believing?

(This idea came to me while watching some really, really crappy romantic movie.. Also, I was feeling nostalgic, and I wanted to do a story where our favorite hounds are all friends. I do miss them together as a stable. Just happy they're all doing amazingly on their own.)


	2. Things Happen For A Reason

"C'mon man, you have to answer the question.. The one thing you could do over if you had a rewind button for your life.. And don't give your usual bullshit answer." Seth Rollins badgered Dean Ambrose impatiently. Dean looked up from whatever it was he was looking at in the backseat of the SUV they were sharing and gave him a go to hell look.

"I'd go back in time, Lopez, and make sure there wasn't a hole in ya dad's condom." Dean snipped sarcastically as Seth flipped him off and the two laughed, with Roman adding in, "Ouch.. And that was a burn, Colby. A serious burn.. Do you have a rebuttal?"

"Nah.. Good's not worth arguing with, I'm too fucking exhausted." Seth said as he looked back at the bench seat Dean Ambrose was stretched across, looking at some book intently. "Whatcha lookin at, Jon?" he asked, Dean speaking up again, smirking as he said "Ya ma."

"Classy, Jon." Roman muttered as he studied his friend in the rearview mirror. For some odd reason, Dean had been off lately. Like his mind and his body were in the ring, in the show, but frankly? It almost seemed like the Lunatic's heart just wasn't in it.

He'd pretty much figured out that whatever was going on, it either had to do with a box of Dean's old things that his mother had sent to him after she'd found them while cleaning out their old apartment, getting ready to move in with somebody she was dating.. Or it had to do with the mysterious solo trip Dean took back to Ohio for just a few days not even a week ago.

But whatever it was, naturally, Ambrose was keeping it to himself and lately, mood wise, the man had truly been the embodiment of a lunatic with his mood swings being all over the place.

"You okay, Jon?" Roman asked after a few way too quiet minutes passed. It wasn't like Dean to be this quiet.

"I was just about to ask the same thing.. Hey, Anoai.. Pull in at this diner, man, I gotta piss." Seth said as Roman glared and asked from the drivers seat, "You can't fucking hold it, Lopez? We're almost to that hotel.."

"Dudeeee... I gotta go.. Nowwww." Seth said as he hopped around in his seat a little and Dean grumbled then asked aloud, "I'm fine, guys, damn it.. Where the fuckin hell are we anyway?"

"Just outside of Tulsa. Some little pissant town." Roman said as he consulted the GPS and calculated a new route to their hotel, then pulled into a parking spot beside a tall black Chevrolet four wheel drive truck with almost black tinted windows.

"Think he's tryin to compensate for somethin?" Dean attempted to joke as he nodded towards the truck, wiggling his brows suggestively.

Seth turned to look at the truck and promptly burst into laughter as he said "Twenty dollars, Good.. A woman drives that."

"Or a man who's got a little man complex." Dean insisted though he stuck his hand out and the two males shook on the wager.

"When are you two idiots going to stop betting on everything?" Roman asked as he laughed, shook his head and then said "What the hell.. I'll go one better.. Betting it's a single female with a little girl." as he smirked to himself. He was at least partially certain he was going to get it right because he'd seen a bumper sticker advertising a local elementary school and a tailgate magnet, in pink, advertising a dance school. The reason he thought a woman owned the truck, however, was the fact that there was a pink outlined zebra print filled monogram sticker in the back glass.

Not something a man willingly lets his lady put on his personal vehicle unless of course, he's got a big brass pair of balls, or he really, really loves his woman. But most men wouldn't do it. And most women, well.. Drove their own cars.. Not some big jacked up monstrosity.

The two males stared at him and he shrugged, made a mock zipping of his lips and then asked with a smirk, "Thought you had to piss, Lopez."

"I do, Anoai.. Just trying to get my fucking leg to wake the hell up so I can move without falling down on my face." Seth complaned as he stretched his legs and then finally stood.

Dean's stomach growled as he stepped out of the SUV and stretched. "Tulsa better not be much fuckin further." he complained with a scowl as he sniffed the air. "Might as well get food too.. Save me from having to eat whatever crap I can find near the hotel or at the arena." he commented as the three males walked through the double doors of a very country themed diner.

The jukebox blasted some song by Hellyeah and the place, contrary to the near emptiness of the parking lot. People were crowded around the bar watching a football game, from the looks of it, a local one, and in the front, where the dining area was, families were eating what looked like generous sized helpings of some of the best smelling food that Dean had probably ever smelled in his 28 years on the face of Earth.

His eyes scanned the crowd and the noise as he thought about what he'd lucked into finding out.. About what was burning him from the inside out right now.. He'd asked around when he went back to Ohio, hoping to fix things with **her** , the one girl he'd ever let get really close to him and wound up getting hur the worst by when she too walked away, a girl named Cassandra Cooper, and.. He'd found out she moved to Oklahoma after her mom passed away.. With a little girl.. He hadn't asked, but that part made him crazy with jealousy.. She'd been his girl, damn it. Not some other guys girl.

He had no idea what was about to unfold, really..

"Be still, cupcake. Do you want the braids to stay or not?" Cassandra asked her daughter as her daughter looked up at her impatiently with almost ice blue eyes and said in a grumpy tone, "I can't be still, mama!" as Cassandra laughed and shaking her head, she grumbled to herself, "Yeah baby girl, mama knows. Just try to stop squirming so much.. I know you got mama's tender head.. But if you want braids, baby girl, you're gonna have to stop movin." Cassandra said as she heard the bell over the door that seperated the rowdiness of the bar in back from the quiet and more family oriented atmosphere of the diner in the front chime.

She looked up, a few rhinestone studded hair clips in her mouth as a guy with blond and black hair said aloud, "Any way there's an unoccupied bathroom in here? I've really, really gotta go."

Her daughter, she noticed, was practically gaping at the man and his friend like a fish out of water, her big blue eyes filled with genuine awe and wonder. Then she squealed.. Which for Morgan was not a normal thing because most of the time, Morgan had to warm up to somebody first.

Cassandra gave her daughter a strange look and stuck her finger in her ear playfully then said "Yeah, it's round back and to the left.. Lemme guess.. The bar's mens room is stopped up again?"

"Mhmm." Seth said as he heard Dean make the strangest noise he'd ever heard the man make from behind him. Seth and Roman turned to look at Dean and saw him gaping at the dark haired female in what appeared to be total speechless shock, which for anybody who knew Dean Ambrose, well.. They'd know that was a very, very rare thing.

"I'm goin to the fuckin car." Dean grumbled a few moments later, still too stunned.. The last time he'd seen her.. Hell, she hadn't even given him that chance.. She'd left a note, hauled ass before he got home from that nights show.

When he'd try to call her, she wouldn't answer. When he tried to go to her mother to at least try and plead his case there.. Her mother just shook her head and shut the door in his face, never telling him anything other than leave it alone, he'd done enough damage to her daughter.

Went without saying they'd fought like cats and dogs, a lot, they'd both done bad things to each other in the past.. But he had no idea, really, what he might have done to make her break up with him via note in his apartment.. That wasn't how she was normally...

Truthfully, he'd been contemplating just finding her while they were in town for a few days now that he knew she lived somewhere in Oklahoma.. But he hadn't expected to run into her like this, unprepared, stone cold sober and without his usual liquid courage at the ready.

Cassandra gaped at him but she quickly recovered. After all.. She'd meant so little to him back then that he'd brought girl after girl back to his apartment while she was away at college in the next town and screwed them.. In the bed they shared.. They'd fought all the time, said and done things to each other that two people in love probably shouldn't have..

He didn't seem to recognize her.

Or that's what she thought at least.

"The hell, man? Thought you were hungry?" Seth hissed as he checked out the brunette. She was pretty.. Not the typical kind of girl Dean went for, of course, she had a little more curve to her, she looked more normal, down to earth..

Roman, however, read a totally different meaning into the way Dean acted and then got him off to the side and asked quietly, "You know her?"

"My one regret boys.. you wanted to know, now you do.. My one regret is letting her walk away, waitin so damn long to try and find her, try and fix things."

The two males looked at each other and then at Dean with shocked expressions. Dean shrugged and grumbled "And now ya got ya answer, Lopez. Can I just go to the fuckin car?"

He turned and started to walk out when his friends found themselves being asked to sign a notebook and take a picture with the little girl who was apparently the daughter of the woman he'd given his heart to and gotten his heart crushed yet again by, Cassandra...

But then the little girl stopped him, pen and hello kitty notebook in hand, as well as what was apparently her mom's cell phone. She tugged his jeans leg and he looked down at her, this strange feeling passed over him for a few moments.

Something about those eyes, that smile..

"Sup shortcake?" Dean asked, kneeling to her level as she struggled, fidgeting for a few moments, then said quietly, "Can ya sign my book? And takes a picture? I already gots the other two mens to."

"Morgan, sweetie.. He's probably tired." Cassandra called out as she bit her lower lip nervously. This was not how she expected to see him again. She'd never once imagined them seeing each other again this way. Hell, she'd figured he'd have forgotten all about her by now.

"Nah." Dean called out without looking back at her, still too stunned by seeing her to even get his head around it. He turned his attention back to the little girl, _her eyes, man, it's something about her eyes..' _he thought to himself as he asked the little girl, "How old are ya?"

"Five." Morgan said with a smile as she looked at him and then posed for the photo, leaning against him as she grinned brightly. "My friends never gonna believe this! They all think you three sooooo cute! Me too!" as Dean chuckled and then looked at her outfit, asked her, "Ya watch?"

"Mhmm, with mama, every monday. She get really mad when people hit you." Morgan said as Cassandra groaned internally and Dean looked up and over at her, said casually, "She does, huh?"

"Mhmm."

"Bet that makes ya dad real mad too, doesn't it?"

"Nope.. Don't has one." Morgan blurted as Cassandra felt her stomach drop a little.. The way he was acting right now.. Surely he wasn't...

She bit her lower lip and watched him with their daughter, he talked to her for at least ten more minutes be fore finally going back out to the SUV.

This left Roman and Seth standing there, giving each other strange looks. But the food smelled good and they were kind of hungry..

Not to mention concerned and caring meddling best friends.

This thing Dean admitted to them moments before had made them curious. From the way their friend acted, and the skittishness of Cassandra overall.. There was so much more to the story that neither person was willing to tell.. And yeah, Seth and Roman were going to do a little harmless meddling.

"Y'all wanna eat or?" Cassandra asked the two men as Seth and Roman shared a look, nodded and slid into a booth. The little girl scampered over, held out their menus and they laughed a little, Seth asking the little girl playfully, "You work here too?"

"I helps mama."

"You do, huh?" Roman asked as he added, "I have a little girl about your age. She likes to help her mom too. It's good you help your mom."

"Mhmm. I'm a big girl. I'm takin dance with 13 year olds!" Morgan bragged to one of her endless favorite wrestlers. She looked at them and then asked, "Why your friend go outside?"

"He wasn't hungry, cupcake." Seth said as Roman nodded and said "But we'll get him something to eat too."

"You better.. He gotta fight that fat stinking Bray Wyatt. He need energy! I make Mama make all of ya steak." Morgan replied, a bossy tone all too familiar to the both of the men in the booth making them smirk a little, share a look.

Was it possible, what they were both thinking?

Seth raised a brow and laughed as the little girl ran to the kitchen area and opened the door, shouted, "3 steaks, mama! French fries too."

Cassandra groaned and laughing to herself, shook her head as she said "Did ya even ask em what they wanted to eat, cupcake?"

"Nope. They needs energy food. That meat." Morgan replied with an annoyed roll of her eyes as she slid a dollar out of her little mini apron and walked over to a jukebox that had a stool standing beneath it. She smiled as she scanned the playlist and picked Halestorm's ACDC cover of Shoot To Thrill.

Roman and Seth shared yet another look as they watched mother and daughter moving around the restaurant.

Seth leaned in and whispered, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Anoai?"

"Depends, Lopez." Roman muttered as he added, "If you're thinking that there's even a slim chance that the little girl is Jon's then yeah.. It's kinda obvious.. The poor kid is marked. Nose, eyes, smirk.. even the way she talks with her hands a lot."

"The question remains, my man.. What went wrong? And do you think there's any way we can fix it for the poor bastard?" Seth asked thoughtfully as Roman shrugged and said "We can ask a few harmless questions first.. Jon did say she was his one big regret.. That he'd go back and do that over if he had a rewind button."

"Yeah.. And he was really, really upset just now. Which isn't like him.. I mean mad as hell, he does well.. This was just.. It was entirely different."

"Defeated or something." Roman added as he took a sip of the soda that the dark haired woman bought over for them a few moments after they'd sat down and before she'd headed to the kitchen area.

Their food came and Roman said quietly, "Hey.. Do you have a few minutes?" as he paused to look at her nametag and added, "Cassandra?"

"Yeah.. It's not too packed in here now, not like when the three of you first came in." Cassandra said as she sat down, looked at the two men and asked bluntly, "Out with it.. I know what you wanna ask. Just ask it already, okay, because if it's all the same to you? I was shocked to see him.. Like this, I meant.."

"What do you mean?"

"Toyed with the idea of looking him up a few times, convinced myself he was long over me. Even if he's not, guys.. He'd hate me.."

"Why?"

"Don't give me that. Heard you two talking when I was wiping down the other tables." Cassandra mumbled as she looked at them and said "Yes.. She is his daughter.. And yes, I know.. I should tell him.. But the guy hasn't ever expressed some hidden desire to have kids. And we did more than enough to hurt each other back then. I don't wanna tell him and have to sit back and watch him reject her."

"How do you know he will."

"Pretty sure of it. Besides.. I let him go.. He didn't come back.. Isn't that how the saying goes? If you love something set it free? If he'd have stayed with me.. Never would've made it as far as he has.. This was his dream. I was getting in the way. Trust me, he won't ever say it, but I was. I could just tell.. He turned down a lot of shit to stay close to me.. Kept telling him not to.. Then the cheating and the fights started.. I did what I thought was best for him and for me."

"Any chance you regret it?" Roman asked as he stared at her intently. Cassandra nodded and said quietly, "All the damn time. Only every damn time she's got a dance recital or something, or has a nightmare and then gets upset because she doesn't have a daddy to look in her closet or under her bed for the monsters."

Seth stared at her a few moments and then said "So you still love him?"

"Always. Unfortuntately, huh? I mean he's probably got everything he ever wanted now.. Right?"

"Kinda.. But not really."

She raised a brow and then the two males explained that while he had a career and all that, he really didn't have anything waiting for him when he came off the road. He didn't have a good dose of normal.

And even though he'd never tell them that, they could always just tell that the closer it got to downtime, the more that ate at him.

Cassandra sighed and looked at them then said quietly, " He's lucky he's got friends like you.. He never really got close to many people when we were younger.. Then I fucked up and walked away, did what only every other person in his life did to him.. And the worst part was the way I did it."

"By a note?" Seth guessed as Cassandra nodded and said quietly, "Yeah. By a note. I took the cowards way out just because I was too afraid that if I told him why I was leaving, he'd fight me and I'd wind up staying.. We both just needed time.."

Both males nodded but Roman said calmly, "Things happen for a reason, Cassandra.. Think about that." as he texted one of the guys he knew in the ticket office and explained the situation as best as he could.

Seth grabbed a napkin and then asked the little girl sitting nearby quietly, doing a worksheet for school, "Can I see that crayon?"

Morgan held out the crayon and taking it Seth wrote down Dean's cell phone numer then slid it across the table to Cassandra s he said quietly "Just think about it. You never know until you try."

Roman finished his text conversation and then said quietly, "If you decide to do something about it.. The show's at that arena in Tulsa on Monday.. All you have to do is walk up to the ticket booth and tell the guy behind it you're Cassandra and Joe Anoai reserved two tickets for you and your daughter." as he smirked at her a little then said "Got the ones next to my girl and our daughter.. I think Morgan and my little girl would get along great. It'll give my daughter something to do during the show because she's always saying she doesn't watch unless one of us is in the ring.. Or Jimmy and Jey."

Cassandra looked at the napkin and thought about what they said as they walked out of the diner, they had to because by now, Dean was honking the horn obnoxiously.

Should she go?

Or was the past better left in the past?

What if everything would have been totally different?

"I'll think it over." she mumbled as she set to cleaning off the table Roman and Seth had sat at.

Meanwhile, in the SUV, Roman shoved the boxed food at Dean and said "Morgan's cute.. A little bossy but she sent that.. And told me to tell you if Bray trys to go for his move, bite his arm. Her exact words, Jon, were 'Is he stupit? All he has to do is bite that stinking Bray. I bited Joey Lancaster when he tried to kiss me and he ran off real fast.' "

Seth snickered and then said "Don't kill us, Jon but.."

"God damn it, what'd the two of ya do?" Dean asked in a grumpy tone as Seth explained what he'd done and added at the end, "It's for your own damn good."

"I reserved two tickets to the show Monday. Just testing a theory, Good, don't give me that damn look.. Like Colby said, it's for your own good."

"The hell it is. Why the fuckin.. What the fuck did ya two idiots do it for, huh? That shit's in the past. She didn't want me or she'd have stayed, damn it."

"Maybe, Jon, you have that totally ass backwards." Seth said firmly as Dean shoved his earphones in and cranked up ACDC, refusing to talk to them the rest of the drive into Tulsa...

But inside, he found himself curious..

Would she call?

Would she show up?

What if he'd tried harder than he had to fight for her back then?

And what was it about the little girl that seemed so familiar to him?

Out of nowhere, Seth spoke up as he palmed his face and then said "Guys? Know what we forgot?" as his friends turned to look at him, brows raised. Seth grumbled and rolling his eyes, "Seriously, you two idiots have the memory span of a freaking pea.. We forgot the bet.. That truck, remember? We all had a bet going as to who's truck it was? I wanted to get a little money because we all know I'm right."

"Colby?" Roman asked, brow raised as Dean leaned around the seat and said grumpily, "Just shut ya face."

"Somebody's touchy. Don't get testicle with me, Good." Seth teased as Dean gave him a burning go to Hell look and said quietly, "I'm gonna give ya testicles, Colby." as Roman chuckled and joked with the two men, "Okay, boys.. Don't make Dad stop this fucking thing and find a switch."

"What are ya gonna do, Anoai, with ya big Samoan ass? Spank me?" Dean asked as he faked a better mood.. All he could do now was wait.. And wonder. And just hope to hell that maybe he got a chance to fix things.. Or at least for the two of them to have that one last fight to end all fights.. Either way, Monday was the day.. He'd get his answer then.. But he wondered to himself, was he going to like it?

Or was his life going to continue to suck and be miserable?


	3. Its Really Good To Hear Your Voice

She stared at the number scrawled in crayon on the napkin and bit her lower lip as she paced the kitchen in her house. She'd just gotten Morgan into bed about ten minutes ago and now she was for lack of a better word, losing it. She was totally losing her shit. She hadn't expected to see Jon again like that tonight. She hadn't expected the sudden rush of feelings to come back, she hadn't expected her breath to literally be taken away just at the sight of him. _'That was not the Jon ya loved, Cassandra.. The eyes.. His eyes were duller. He looked like seeing you again hurt.' _her brain urged her as her fist wrapped tighter around the napkin with his number on it.

Should she call him?

What if she didn't call him? She didn't need any mental debate over that, really, she knew full well what would happen if she didn't call now. She'd regret it, she'd always have this ache, this hole in her.. A hole that for whatever reason, only Jon had ever been able to truly fill.

Their daughter healed that hole, but if she even thought she stood a chance with him again.. Just the thought of maybe was enough for her to stare intently at her cell phone. Just the concern she felt after seeing him fight tonight when she'd watched after getting home from work.. Just knowing he was so close right now.. It was literally taking everything she had to keep herself from going down the hall to their daughter's room, waking her and making the short 20 minute trip to Tulsa.

But if she did call him.. What was the guarantee that he wanted anything to do with her anymore? She'd walked away, that was something he'd never taken well to, being abandoned, being hurt. If anything, she knew that right now, his walls were way up. She'd done that. It made her sick too. _'You might have done it for his own damn good, Cass.. But you still did it and he's not gonna wanna know why. He's not gonna care that you had the best of intentions when you did it.' _her mind argued.

"If I call.." she muttered to herself aloud as she shotgunned the wine cooler she'd sat on the counter moments before and wiped her lips. "Fuck it. I'm gonna call.. That guy.. Things happen for a reason, he was right about that. And Jon deserves to know about Morgan, he deserves a choice.. I didn't give him that before because I didn't wanna have to make him feel like he was trapped, like he'd have to give up his dream. We're different people now."

She took a few deep breaths and dialed the number...

* * *

><p>Dean grumbled as the cell phone on his nightstand lit up. It'd been ringing, but he hadn't heard it to the last ring because he'd been thinking, totally lost in his own thoughts, his own mind.. Seeing her again today, knowing that he wanted her, he actually kinda needed her if he dared admit it, he wouldn't, but it went without saying.. The way his heart raced and his body got this electric tingle all over it when he saw her again. The phone buzzed and he grumbled, sat up in the empty hotel bed and reached for it.<p>

"The hell?" he muttered in shock as he raked a hand over the back of his neck, blinked to double check, make sure his eyes weren't decieving him right now. The number was a local one and he knew that Seth had given Cassandra his number when they'd been at the diner earlier. But he figured she probably threw the damn thing in the wastebasket the second they were on the road again. The very last thing he expected, of course, was her to call him.. Especially not right now. And damn sure not 3 times.

He slid out of bed and slid a pair of sweats on, grabbed a hoodie and pulled it over his head.. Feeling around on his nightstand he found his cigarettes and his lighter, almost swearing when the phone vibrated again in his hand. Then he realized that he'd turned off the damn ringer earlier and hadn't turned it back on. He slid the lock screen off and waited..

He'd just about given up a few minutes later when it rang again. This time, he answered.

"Yeah?" he asked, voice still thick with sleep. He coughed as he exhaled a plume of smoke into the night air and looked up at the sky. As much as he tried to stop it, when her voice filled the other end of the line, he smiled. "Cassandra.. Didn't think you'd call." he muttered in a bitter tone as he looked at the phone in his hands, started to pace on the balcony.

"Yeah, well I did.. Jon, we really need to talk."

"About?" he asked, even as his mind told him that was a totally stupid question.. He had a suspicion, after seeing Morgan earlier, that he knew what Cassandra might be wanting to talk to him about. And if his suspicion was true, he wasn't entirely sure how he'd go about handling it.. He'd never had a father of his own, how the hell would he know whether he'd be a good dad or not?

Besides, at the end of the day, he was still a bastard, crazy to top it off.

"There are things I wanna say to you." Cassandra said quietly as she stood in the doorway of their daughter's bedroom, shaking her head, laughing quietly. Like Jon, Morgan had this habit when she slept. She'd either sleep curled in a ball, or she'd sleep halfway off the bed. Tonight, in her excitement, she'd fallen asleep halfway on and halfway off the bed.

"What's funny?"

"Just laughing at the way Morgan sleeps. She's hangin half off the bed.. Gimme a sec.. I'm gonna put her all the way on the bed." Cassandra said as she walked over to the bed and pulled her daughters legs up onto it, tucked her in the right way.. Also like her father, nine times out of ten, when Cassandra came in to check on her be fore she finally went to sleep, Morgan would be completely out of the covers.

"Okay, I'm back."

"What'd ya wanna say." Dean asked as he paced a little, nervous. Before she could answer, he asked the one thing that'd been on his mind since the night he came home to the apartment that he was gonna ask her to share with him, as his wife, not just his girl and found a note saying she was done, she was leaving and not to find her.. "Why, Cassie.. Why the fuck did ya leave? I mean I know I wasn't a good guy, damn it.."

Cassandra sighed and said quietly, "Because I was holding you back, Jon.. And we were fighting all the time and... I came to the show one night.. Heard you talking to some chick.. Telling her things.. You two looked pretty cozy.. I'd just found out earlier that day that you turned down a company because you'd be gone more. I did what I thought was better for you."

"Yeah? Well it fuckin wasn't. I turned that damn job down, Cassie, because I didn't fuckin wanna take it. It was too soon. Wasn't ready." Dean admitted as he stepped back into the hotel room, grabbed a beer from the mini fridge in his room and flopped onto the couch, turned on the tv, finding a hockey game. "As far as that girl goes? I was doin that to test myself.. We were fightin so much.. And I was startin to think nothin mattered, I was gonna lose you anyway.. Saw you talking to that nerdy ass guy at your college.. I figured somethin was going on.. Pathetic thing was, Cassie.. I couldn't do it.. I mean I literally had her talked into bed and I backed out. Because of you."

Cassandra raised a brow at the phone. He'd never just been this straightforward with her before. Normally, to get him to tell her anything back then, she'd had to drag it out kicking and screaming, lots of fighting and bitter words. He hated dealing with his feelings. He'd never liked it.

"I..."

"Yeah.. Feelin kinda stupid now." Dean asked as he sipped the beer then asked, "Where's Morgan's dad at? Did ya wait even five damn minutes before ya hopped into bed with another guy?" even though deep down he sort of already knew the answer to that, just going on how she was acting, how she'd acted earlier at the diner, watching them together.

And there had just been some kind of connection with Dean and the little girl, even he'd felt that, and he was dense at times.. Okay, nearly all the time, he was dense. But even he'd felt it. Even Seth and Roman commented on her being a mini version of him.

Cassandra grumbled and slammed her wine cooler down on the bar as she glared at the phone. But she took a few deep breaths and reminded herself that she'd caused this, that she'd been the one to finally shut him off from the inside. He was who he was now, largely because of what she'd done.. Or at least she was blaming herself for the pain in his eyes, the coldness.

"Actually, Jon.. She's your daughter. I found out about two months after we were over.. I tried to find you at first, then I realized that you were doing what you'd always wanted to do. And I remembered our discussions about the future. The things you said about having kids. The whole idea freaked you out then, if memory serves. But no, Jon, there was no other man. Only you." Cassandra said through gritted teeth as she tried to keep calm. She had to remember that in all this, she was the bad guy. She could've kept trying, she wanted to keep trying.. She'd just been too scared that she'd lost him.

Dean gaped at the phone, shocked for a few moments.. Then the anger set in. "Ya shoulda kept trying, damn it." he snapped as he took a sip of the beer, tried to calm down. He could think back and he could rationally see why she wouldn't keep trying. They'd had a really messed up relationship towards the end, there was no actual denying that.

They'd done and said more to hurt each other in those last few months than they ever had before them.

"Yeah."

He tapped his foot against the carpeted floor and thought about what this meant. He wasn't sure what to do now, the truth was out, and she had called him. "I wanna see her." he stated quietly as Cassandra raised a brow at the phone. It was not what she'd thought he'd say. She'd figured he'd hang up or something. Or he'd tell her that he still felt the way he had then, that he still didn't want family, he didn't want the whole one guy,one girl thing. "Okay.. She'd like that. I'd love that." Cassandra said quietly as she stared at the phone a few moments.

She had all these feelings currently, and the most profound one was that she'd never stopped loving him. She'd just sort of poured that love into their daughter.. But she'd never forgotten him, and she'd always wanted them to find their way back together. She held out hope but from where she stood right now, she knew she had no actual right to do so..

After all, she'd been the one to leave him. She'd been the one to keep this secret for so long. She'd been the one to hurt him the way she had.

"Tomorrow?" Dean asked, gaping at his reflection in the mirror he stood in front of currently, shocked at himself. He'd surprised himself when he said that just now, and he was even more surprised when he realized that no matter how much he said it was just to at least know Morgan, it also had a lot to do with still being in love with Cassandra, wanting things to finally be fixed between them, to finally fall in place. His eyes fell on the box his mom shipped him a few weeks ago and he walked over, dug through it. The pain shot through him like a knife when he saw the black velvet box he never got to give her.

But he was not getting his hopes up. And he was not going to make any moves until he knew for certain that she wasn't just doing this because she felt bad, because she only wanted him to know his daughter, or worse, just wanted something from him. After all, they hadn't seen each other in years now.. What if she really was onl doing this for their kids sake?

What if she didn't love him anymore?

"Tomorrow's great, actually.." Cassandra said as she bit her lower lip and waited a few moments, the silence and tension evident. She knew it'd be tense, she'd just sprang this on him after only just seeing him again today.. She was pretty sure that he didn't believe her, either, so she took a deep breath and said "I realize that you might not think she's yours or you might have doubts.. If you wanna get a DNA test, Jon, I'll completely understand. I mean it's fair, right? I could just be some gold digger or something.. I mean you did assume I'd fuck around on you.." her own tone bitter.

"We can, Cassie.. But we both know what it's gonna say, don't we?" Dean said as he took a few deep breaths and sipped his beer then asked, "Unless ya got something to hide?"

"If I did, Jon, you'd know it. I've never been a liar. Coward, yes.. Liar, nope." Cassandra said quietly as Dean took a few deep breaths to calm down a little and then said quietly, "Yeah."

The box felt heavy in his hands so he tossed it back into the cardboard box with all the other things. Biting his lip he thought for a few moments and then admitted, "Much as I hate it.. I still love ya... I still want ya.. It's takin all I got not to drive to where ya are.. But that wouldn't be a good idea." as he paced, his hand raking through his hair as he waited on some kind of reaction.

Cassandra's heart raced as she paced and tried to think of what to say in response to what he'd admitted. Finally, she sighed and said quietly, "Me too.. I never stopped loving you.. Part of the reason I left, Jon, was because I loved you a little too much.. And you're right.. It wouldn't be a good idea.. You've got a few days in town.. Let's just get through those first, okay?"

He nodded and sipped the rest of his beer as he said solemnly, "Yeah. Let's do that."

"If you want.. She's not completely asleep yet.. I can wake her up and let her talk to ya?" Cassandra said quietly as she walked down the hallway to their daughter's bedroom. She'd had a long talk with Morgan earlier, telling her the truth, telling her that just because she knew didn't mean that mommy and daddy would be happy forever, it didn't even guarantee that they'd wind up back together. Or that he'd want to be around her much if he even could.

She'd handled it better than Cassandra feared she would. She'd been hopeful though. Cassandra, sadly, knew that she probably didn't have any right to be hopeful for the two of them to finally be happy and be together again.. For now, she'd let their little girl be hopeful.

Because she didn't want to crush her, she didn't have the heart to.

"Yeah.. I wanna talk to her.. She knew?"

"Not until an hour ago, when we were driving home.. I told her.. Everything.. Well, everything she was old enough to hear.. Also warned her that just because she knew and you know.. It didn't mean that we were just gonna magically become some family or something.. We hurt each other a lot, Jon."

"We did."

Cassandra poked her daughter awake and Morgan scowled but took the phone and muttered grumpily, "Hello?"

"Hey, Morgan." Dean said as he heard the little girl sort of squeak, excited. The phone was dropped and then she was back on the line talking a mile a minute, telling him pretty much everything about her.. He listened, intently, then when he got a chance, he said quietly, "I'm gonna try to be around ya more. Also gonna try and work on things with Ma, okay?"

Morgan smiled to herself a little. "Okay.. I has ballet tomorrow afternoons.. Please come too?" she asked cautiously as she waited with her fingers crossed.

"I'll be there." Dean said as they talked some more, then she told him goodnight. Cassandra got the phone back and said quietly, "You don't have to if you're busy..." her own tone wary, fearful. He shrugged and then said simply, "I wanna see her. I'm tryin." as he paced a few more moments, planning out what he wanted to happen, how he'd make it happen and what needed to happen in order to get him what he wanted and to prove once and for all to Cassie that when he said it was always going to be them against the world, he'd damn well meant it.

It wasn't merely a possession thing. He'd meant it.. It was his way of saying he loved her. Because then, he hadn't been able to really do it. He still wasn't any better at it now, but he'd always regretted this one thing in his life.. He'd always wanted a chance to go back, to fix things. Now, maybe, he'd get that chance.

And if this was a shot at getting that chance, he'd take it.

"I know, I just.. I don't want to force things, okay?" Cassandra admitted quietly as he shook his head and then asked, "So.. Do ya wanna meet me at that diner again tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that'll work." Cassandra said as she bit her lower lip and paced around then asked, "What time?"

"Maybe 8.. Got a radio interview to do anyway, I have to be up early.. We can get breakfast. Hey.. Earlier, me and the guys had a bet goin.. About that big black truck in the parking lot? We were tryin to figure out who drives it.. Do ya know?" he asked, curiously.

"Wait.. Only person who drives a big black truck, Jon, is me.. What the hell was the bet?" she asked, Dean swore a little then with a laugh he said casually, "Nothin, Cassie.. I'll tell ya later. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Jon." she said as they hung up the phone. She walked down the hallway and fell across the bed she slept in alone and tried to get her head around just how fast everything in life could change... Her only worry, really, was how she was going to keep herself from falling head over heels hard and fast for him all over again.. How not to rush things..

If they even stood a chance. What if he didn't want things fixed? Just because he said he still loved her.. And she knew she still loved him.. That didn't automatically mean things were going to work out.. They'd been through a lot.. They'd done a lot, said a lot.. And she was afraid that all the damage just might not be fixable.. But if he wanted to try, she decided, she was more than willing..

Because she should've fought harder, tried harder back then. Then maybe she wouldn't have done what she had, maybe their lives would be totally different.


	4. Conversations Over Breakfast

"So she called you last night? Seriously?" Seth asked from the passenger seat as Dean nodded and took an earphone out of his ear then said "I'm gonna go spend the day with Morgan today." as Roman and Seth exchanged looks at each other, neither commenting. They hadn't expected that, but.. Dean was someone who was unpredictible for the most part. You couldn't ever actually tell what he was going to do from one minute to the next. The fact that he was even trying was a shock to them too.

"That's good.. But what about you and Morgan's mom?" Seth asked as Dean shrugged and said "Don't know, Colby, damn. I don't have an answer for everything, man. I haven't really got all this figured out, shit."

"What do you want to do?" Roman asked, looking at his friend in the rearview mirror as he drove them to the diner that Cassandra and Dean were apparently going to meet up at, so that he could leave with her and her daughter, his daughter, Morgan, spend the day with the two of them. He waited, looking at Dean who shrugged, didn't seem to have an answer.

"I want to forgive and forget but face it man.. She fuckin left me. She did what everyone else does and fucking walked away. With my kid. How the hell did she know I wouldn't wanna know about Morgan, man? It pisses me off every single time I think about it but I..." Dean went silent as he leaned his head back against the backseat, banging it lightly. Every part of him was saying that he'd caused a lot of what happened, and logically, he knew he had. But she'd still left. She'd made promises, damn it, she'd broken those promises.

But he still loved her, even after all that.

That was what scared him, really. He still loved her and he couldn't cut it off or will it away. He couldn't ignore it because he'd spent the better part of almost 6 years trying. He'd never been able to get her out of his head and his heart, though he'd die before admitting either thing.

"She had a reason. Maybe if you tried to talk things out with her, Jon." Seth stated as he looked at his best friend then grumbled when he saw the look in Dean's eyes. Dean had already decided. He was going to make this as hard as possible for the poor girl if she did decide she wanted them to be together again. Seth just hoped to hell that something happened today to change Dean's mind.. Or that he and Roman could do something to make the stupid bastard less hard headed, more willing to give things a chance to work out.

The diner came into view and Roman pulled into a parking spot. Just as Dean got out he chuckled and said with a smirk, "That truck? It's hers." as he nodded to the black jacked up monstrosity parked nearby. Roman smirked and held out his hand, both Dean and Seth, grumbling as they did so, deposited the money owed on the bet into his hands. "We'll get drinks tonight, man, hell.. We'll celebrate." Roman said as Dean nodded, shrugged and stepped out of the SUV.

He took a few deep breaths and stubbed out his cigarette around the same time that the little girl ran out full speed and climbed up his body, laughing. "You came." Morgan giggled as she looked at him and said bossily, "You gotta shave. You face tickly."

"I kinda like it though, Morgan." Dean said as Morgan hugged him and then said "Mama inside. She was waitin on a table for one of the other girls who work here real quick. But we go soon." as Dean nodded and held her out a little, looked at her. _Yeah, he'd have to be an idiot_, he thought to himself, this weird feeling he couldn't quite explain passing over him as he did so, _to think anyone but him could be her father_. But if Cassandra insisted on doing the damn blood test, he wasn't gonna argue. At least then he could know.. He had rights and he could see the girl as much as he wanted.

_'But you know, Jon, it won't ever get that nasty between you and Cassandra. You know because you know she won't fight you. And you won't take Morgan from her. Because you also know, Jon, you still love her and you never fucking stopped. And it almost killed you for a while there, when she left.' _he thought to himself as he carried Morgan into the diner, getting them both out of the bitter coldness in the air. "So.. Ya got dance classes today, huh? What kind of dance do ya do?" he asked Morgan as he found a booth, sat down, sitting her in his lap, she turned so that she could see him and talk to him.

"Mhmm.. I has ballet today. I hope Kayla's mommy ain't there. I kinda don't likes her. She bossy and pushy. So is Kayla. I punched her one time. It was awesome." Morgan said as she laughed a little, leaned in to press her forehead against her father's forehead. Cassandra cleared her throat from above the two of them and said "Got the cook makin us breakfast, Jon.. And no, Morgan, you punching Kayla because she got the lead in that play you guys did was not awesome. But I tend to agree. Her mom's a witch." which made Dean look at them, smirk a little as he asked, "So this kid.. She like a bully or somethin?"

"Kinda.. But trust me, Jon.. If there's anything our daughter knows it's how to put a bully on their ass." Cassandra said as she smiled a little, secretly happy that he was at least making an attempt to be part of their daughters life, wishing that she knew if he wanted to be a part of both of their lives again, hoping against hope but yet knowing she had no right to hope, not at all.

The fact that he was even making an attempt to be involved as Morgan's dad was both shocking and it made her feel that much worse about her hasty decision back then. If she hadn't have left him..

"She does, huh?"

"Yes, Jon.. Unfortunately, she got both of our tempers. Combined." Cassandra admitted as she slid into the booth seat opposite him and then said "Heard your interview this morning." smiling a little. He shrugged and said "Ya not mad, right? I mean I did kinda mention both of ya." chuckling as he raked a hand through his hair, stared at her a few moments. God it was so tempting, just to close the distance between their lips across the table and kiss her.. Just to taste her kiss again._ But_ he reminded himself, _he had to give this time_.

"Daddy.. You're kinda starin at mama." Morgan giggled as Dean shrugged and said "Because Morgan, ya mama's pretty. So are you." smirking a little. He definitely couldn't say he didn't have a pretty little girl, thankfully, she hadn't taken after him completely.. Just the eyes, their cocky smirk.. He winked at Cassandra as he saw her turning kind of pale pink. She shook her head and said casually, "Your dad just says that, cupcake, because when he was younger, got one of his eyes messed up.. Can't see that great now."

"The hell?" Dean asked, looking at her, she shrugged and their food came thankfully, which gave Cassandra time to recover.. Was he trying to flirt with her, being nice for their daughters sake or something else entirely? As stated before, she didn't want to read too much into things. Especially given what she'd done, which while for the best of reasons, had been the absolute worst thing she could've done.

Especially since everyone else had done it to him before.

"Anybody ever tells you ya not pretty, Morgan, deck 'em." Dean said as Morgan laughed and called him silly.

"So.. What are we gonna do today?" Dean asked as he held Cassandra's gaze intently, Cassandra taking a few bites of her food and saying quietly, "Well, after Morgan's dance class, I thought we could go and see this movie she really wants to see? I mean if you don't have anything you're in a hurry to do.." biting her lower lip as she looked at him.

She hated it, things being awkward, tense between them. But she'd caused it. She'd done to him what everyone else had.

"Nah.. We'll go see it." Dean said quietly as he held her gaze, wondering what she was thinking about currently, what her life had been like without him, wondering if he had it in him to take things slowly, he wasn't exactly known for being a patient guy, and he wanted her back. Even though it pissed him off, the fact that he did, because of what she'd done back then, leaving him.

He didn't want to want her back, he didn't want to love her, but the fact remained, he still did. And he was not going to just let things slip by without some kind of fight.

"Thanks.. I mean you probably had a thousand things you'd rather be doing today." Cassandra said quietly as Morgan ate her food and sat in Dean's lap. Shrugging, he shook his head and said quietly, "Truth? I was just gonna go back to the damn hotel and sleep. That's it, really. Not living some glamorous life, shit." as she nodded and said quietly, "Still though.. I mean you didn't even have to show up today."

"I wanted to." he said through gritted teeth as he sipped his orange juice and looked at her then said quietly, "Wanted to prove ya wrong about me." as she stiffened, hearing the bitterness and pain in his voice as he spoke.

"So.. We should probably get goin, huh?" he asked as they finished eating, Cassandra stood and walked to the cash register, paying for their food. Morgan leaned in and whispered to her father, "She still love you."

"Yeah, I know.. I still love her too, but.. Sometimes, shortcake.. Takes a while for what you want to happen to happen."

"But you're gonna try.. Right?" Morgan asked her dad who nodded and smiled a little then said "Yeah.. Just gotta get used to all this." as they walked out the door of the diner, got into Cassandra's truck. He had a whole day with them.. Maybe he'd start working his way back in, or being able to allow himself to let her a little close... Because he wasn't a patient guy, and he wanted her back now.. Hell, yesterday, actually.


	5. Her Daddy's Temper

Before he realized just what he was doing, he'd grabbed hold of his daughter and gotten enough distance between her and the girl she'd been just about to punch to stop any potential fight from happening. When he'd gotten Morgan away from the girls that had been picking on her for whatever reason, he asked her quietly, "What was that about?" as Morgan looked down, more angry than anything at the moment, he could see it in those almost mirror like icy blue eyes of hers. "Hey.. I asked ya a question."

"What the hell was going on over there?" Cassie asked as she finally made it over to where Dean sat with their daughter, having just had a conversation with her teacher about potential behavior problems. Dean looked up and said calmly, "Those other girls, Cassie, were givin our daughter shit. And if I hadn't have grabbed her, she'd probably have started a fuckin riot." while trying not to chuckle a little.

_Apparently_, he thought to himself, _eye color and smirks were not the only thing father and daughter had in common_. It amazed him, really, spending the entire day with her so far had, because he hadn't realized just how easy being with Cassandra was, just how much he'd really and truly missed Cassandra. He knew he missed her, yes, but he hadn't realized that there was this empty space there when she left. And Morgan.. She had him wondering now if maybe he hadn't done all he'd done back then, if maybe he'd tried harder, if maybe they'd both have been a lot more patient, less tempermental, less quick to jump to conclusions like they'd been back then.. What would life be like for him now?

How would he have been as Morgan's father all along?

"Yeah.. And according to her teacher, Jon, she's been doing that a lot lately.. Morgan, is there something you want to tell me, maybe, sweetheart?" Cassie asked, taking Morgan from Dean as he held her out. Morgan shook her head and then finally admitted, "Those girls are always being mean to me, Mama."

"Define mean. I mean it right now, Morgan, you tell me what those girls are doing to you that makes you get into so much trouble." Cassie said firmly as Dean gave her a look then asked calmly, "Want me to walk over and talk to 'em?"

"Jon, damn it, you walking over and talking to 'em is gonna do about as much good as Morgan's getting into fights with them. She's gotta learn how to do this the right way, not with those fists of hers." Cassie said as Morgan dropped her shoulders, pouted. Dean gave Cassie a glare and then said quietly, "Ya mom's right.. Even if she's kinda being a nag."

"I'm not being a nag, damn it."

"Ya are."

"Damn it, Jon, I swear to Christ.." Cassie trailed off, Dean looking at her, trying not to laugh as he said casually, "Is the temper maybe from both of us?"

"Oh shut it. Her teacher just told me she's been in 3 fights, Jon. Not just one. 3.. In the same week. She wants me to come into the school when it's open on Monday and talk to her. Morgan's never been in any sort of real trouble before now." Cassie paced as she bit her thumb. Dean's hands on her arms stilled her as he asked Morgan, who he was holding again, "Ya mom do this all the time?"

"Every time she nervous, sir."

"Good to know that ain't changed, I guess. Damn it, Cass, be still. It's not the end of the fuckin world, okay?" Dean pointed out as Cassie glared at him a few moments then pointed out "Look, not to you, no.. But now I have to take off, go to the school because someone's temper.." as she gave their daughter a firm motherly warning look.

"But mama, I wasn't gonna just let 'em get away with bein mean to me.".

"Still, Morgan, when someone's mean to you, it's not always a good reason to use violence.. Unless your telling that teacher of yours and she's not doing a damn thing to stop what's happening.. Is that what it is, Morgan?" Cassie asked as she eyed her daughter. Morgan, of course, didn't answer. But the look in her daughters eyes was pretty much proof positive that she didn't need to actually hear the answer. Cassie's gaze went to the teacher and she grumbled.

"What's ya mom look like she wants to walk over and slap ya teacher for?" Dean asked as Morgan leaned up, whispered quietly, "Because, daddy. That teacher don't really like mama. I dunno why though." as she went back to hugging against him, grumbling a little to herself as she did so. Dean chuckled and then called out to Cassie mockingly, "Violence ain't the answer."

"Stuff it, Jon."

"But ya just told our daughter, Cass, that she ain't gotta go off hitting people when she gets pissed."

"Do as I say, Morgan, not as I do.. Mommy never said she was perfect and damn it, I swear to God, if I find out she's been ignoring your complaining about those girls being mean to you, she's gonna wish to god she never met me. Ever. The woman can say I'm trash all she damn well pleases but just because she dislikes me because I took her spot on the PTA.." Cassie said as she took a few deep breaths. The adult thing, of course, would be to stay calm and have class.

But she was angry right now.

"Hey.. We're gonna go.. Before you walk over there and do somethin." Dean said firmly as he grabbed her arm, lead her out. His hand slipped down once they were outside of the room, and went to rest on her lower back, just like it always used to and it amazed him how it still felt right after all this time.

"Okay, fine. But I swear to God, first thing Monday I'm going to that school and I'm going to have a very private and adult conversation with that shrew of a woman.. And then the principal because if she's doing things this way, then he needs to know."

"And on Monday, Cass, ya damn well can.. Let's just go see that movie now, huh?" Dean asked as they got outside, away from the situation. She tossed him the keys to her truck and he looked at it and then at her, shrugged and said casually, "My drivin always used to scare ya shitless.."

"Yeah, well, I'm not the same girl anymore." Cassie said as she slid into the passenger seat, let Morgan crawl over her, get into the backseat. "Did ya like my dancin, Daddy?"

"You were the best one of 'em, Morgan. That's why those other girls do and say the stuff they do to ya. Jealousy." Dean mused as he looked at their daughter in the mirror, catching her eyes and smiling at her, giving her a wink. She giggled and then asked "Are we gonna go to watch ya fight?"

"I don't think that's a.."

"Yeah, I want both of ya to come." Dean answered finally, shocking both himself and Cassie. As he drove them towards the local movie theater, he thought about just how much he'd willingly go back in time and change if he were given a chance to do so.. Maybe this was that chance. He'd been looking for her for years now, and he just happened to cross her path at random when he'd nearly given up? It had to be some kind of sign, some kind of push in the right direction..

And he was damn well going to take advantage of it if he could. If she'd let him. He'd missed her so much, and he didn't realize how much he wanted what he thought he didn't want back then until now, until he met their daughter Morgan.

"We'll go." Cassie said after a few long moments silence. Had he really just admitted he wanted them both there? Was this a sign that maybe this time, maybe they could make things work? She hoped so.. Because until the run in at the diner, until he'd come back into her life, she hadn't fully realized just how much she missed him and loved him, how much she'd die for a chance to go back and right all the wrongs she'd done during their relationship also.

She found his free hand and loosely slid her own hand over the top, giving him a shaky smile.. Could they actually make this work? It was too soon right now to tell.. But maybe if they started small this time and not rush head first into things like they had back then..

His throat clearing and Morgan laughing got her attention and she asked aloud "What?"

"You okay over there, Cass? Ya awful quiet."

"Just thinking, Jon."

"About?"

"We'll talk about it later."

Dean stared at her a few moments then nodded. Maybe she was considering it, giving them another chance. He could hope, right?


End file.
